McWHORTER LEADS VOLLEYBALL OVER ST. JOSEPH'S (ME), 3-0

BOSTON, MA - Senior outside hitter Kate McWhorter (Bakersfield, CA) smashed 12 kills and hit an impressive .500 to lead the University of Massachusetts Boston women's volleyball team over visiting Saint Joseph's College (ME), 25-8, 25-6, 25-7, tonight at the Clark Athletic Center on the campus of UMass Boston in Boston, MA. The Beacons, who are currently ranked third in the latest NCAA Division III New England Women's Volleyball Association Poll, win their sixth straight contest and have won 19 of their last 21 matches to improve to 19-4. The Monks fall to 13-11 on the season.

UMass Boston scored nine of the first 10 points in the first set and later took a 16-5 lead, before putting the set away on a run of eight straight points during McWhorter's serve. The Beacons took a commanding 13-2 lead, following a string of nine consecutive points on freshman libero Bethany Rossoll's (Colorado Springs, CO) service in the second set and got eight more points during junior defensive specialist Michelle Cawley's (Canton, MA) serve for a 22-4 advantage, before taking the frame. UMass Boston jumped out to a 15-5 margin in the final set, before cruising to the victory. The Beacons hit .478 as a team for the match.

McWhorter added three aces and seven digs to her night for UMass Boston, while freshman middle hitter Shannon Thompson (Moorpark, CA) put down nine kills on a blistering .615 hitting mark in addition to 10 digs, a block assist and five aces to match her career high. Freshman middle hitter Alexa Sullivan (South Dennis, MA) spiked for six kills and a .400 hitting percentage and added a pair of digs and a block solo. Freshman setter Frana Burtness-Adams (Fairbanks, AK) and sophomore setter Cassy Hanneman (Denver, CO) combined for 34 assists with Burtness-Adams putting up a career-high 19. She also found open court for two kills and scooped up three digs, while Hanneman fired three aces and picked up a dig. Rossoll scored with a career-high six aces and added a match-best 13 digs, while Cawley tied her career-best with four aces and got down for five digs.

Freshman middle hitter Sarah Hawkes (Pownal, ME) led Saint Joseph's with four kills and hit .222, while adding four digs and a block assist. Freshman right side Caitlin Leary (Scarborough, ME) chipped in with two kills and five digs, while freshman setter Kiah Begley (Berwick, ME) directed the offense with five assists, spiked for a kill and scooped up a team-high six digs.

The Beacons will be in action again when they compete in a tri-match on Saturday, October 17. They will take on Saint Lawrence University (NY) at 10:30 a.m. followed by host MIT at 1:00 p.m. The Monks will also be in action tomorrow when they play Simmons College at 11:00 a.m. and Rivier College at Simmons at 1:00 p.m.